


The King, the Prince, and the Fool

by RitsuTonks



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Humor, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Misunderstandings, Swearing, change of POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 11:26:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18030821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RitsuTonks/pseuds/RitsuTonks
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki has been visiting the same café in St. Petersburg for quite a while now. He’s an exchange student in Russian, and comes to the café almost every day. Because he has a reason to. And this reason is a blond, charming barista. One day, he accidentally makes a new friend named Yuri Plisetsky. The kid is quite edgy, but still seems nice, and he also happened to know the blond barista, Viktor Nikiforov. He decides to help Yuuri out, and he even goes to the point where more people are involved – such as Yuri’s two friends, Mila Babicheva and Georgi Popovich; and of course Yuuri’s best friend, Phichit Chulanont. Yuri creates a ‘gang’, but things take a turn, when Viktor starts to assume he dates Yuuri, and Yuuri at one point assumes Yuri’s plan to get him and Viktor together is just for Yuri to get closer to Viktor – in that way.In this hopefully funny story we’ll be going on an adventure with these silly people, see some silly things done, and of course you get to decide who’s going to be the King, the Prince and the Fool in the end. :) It’s written in first person singular and in present tense.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction has been written to the Viktuuri Fluff Bang 2019.
> 
> POV's are changing in every chapter between Yuuri and Yuri.
> 
> Art to my fiction, made by cutiepurin: https://66.media.tumblr.com/a15e5319dfb12afea02d9bddd3913c31/tumblr_po0ll8a9Kf1vh81mzo1_540.png

**Chapter 1**

**_Yuuri_ **

 

It is a quite hot summer day and as always, I’m sitting at the same table as usual, drinking my coffee latte from this big, transparent glass. I have always loved the way it looks and tastes: more than the half of the glass is filled with milk, with light brown coffee on it, and it’s admirable how it mixes only when I stir the small spoon. And on the top of it all, there’s some cinnamon and chocolate chunks. Seriously, how can people just live on black coffee, when this one tastes like heaven?  
It’s not like I judge – everyone drinks and does whatever they want.  
The café is a quite big place. Lots of tables, mostly for two and four people, plants surrounding the huge windows. There are nicely decorated lampions on the ceiling, and the floor is made of wood, finely crafted. It’s usually so shiny that you can almost see your own reflection.  
There’s another reason I come here almost every day. It’s a big one. So, the thing is, I’m attracted to the same gender – which in my case means guys. And I, Yuuri Katsuki, age twenty-four, am extremely in love with this blond barista. He’s charming, like, Prince Charming in real life, I’m not even kidding! Except, you know, he’s not trying to take the beautiful Fiona from her true love, Shrek, if you know what I mean.  
I am an exchange student in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and you can guess, this guy is Russian. And he’s also tall, and has these shiny blue eyes. The first time I came here I almost fainted. How can someone be this beautiful?  
So, I’m sitting at this table with my coffee, admiring this beautiful man, and I just don’t know how to start a conversation with him. I have never been very good at conversations, in fact, I kind of try to avoid them. But this time, I wish I was a little braver. Just brave enough to say ‘hi, how are you’. I bet it would make his day. I used to work as a barista back in Japan, and it always made me smile when people asked how my day was going.  
But why is it so hard? Only a few simple words, no big deal. However I have never got the courage to say anything to him yet – except asking for coffee.  
I take a sip and sigh quietly, looking at my own hands, and suddenly, I feel so nervous. I’m actually imagining myself going up to him and talk. Oh, Christ! Even if it’s super easy in my head, it just makes me tremble. I guess I’m scared to death of rejection. I mean, what if I try to make conversation which lasts for a while – a couple of days, let’s be optimistic! –, but then he doesn’t talk to me anymore? I would never come to this place ever again. Moreover, I would throw my scholarship into the closest river and fly back to Hasetsu. Okay, now I’m not that optimistic. Thank you, imagination!  
I pull my phone out of my pocket, and start browsing on my social media when my old childhood friend, Yuuko texts me.  
_How’s it going there, Yuuri?_  
I smile. She checks on me every day.  
_Everything is okay, Yuuko-chan, thanks for asking. How’s it going there?_  
There’s another message, from a teacher in our neighbourhood. She was, like, the fun type of teacher, and she taught ballet. At least, she did when I was still in Japan. But it’s been two years since I’ve been studying in Russia, and I only go back to Japan for two weeks during breaks.  
_Yuuri, are you alright today? When are you coming home? Is school even over yet?_  
_Yeah, school is already over_ , I start to type, _but I managed to get a plane ticket to Hasetsu airport in the end of July. I know, that’s one more month without me._ I even put a crying emoji on the end of the message.  
I drink a little of my coffee, and stare at my phone when I hear a low voice.  
“Hey, can I sit here?”  
I look up. It’s a young blond kid. Then I look around and realise there’s literally no empty table in the whole café.  
“Yeah,” I nod, and he sits down. I wonder how he knew I was a foreigner, but then it hits. My face, obviously.  
We sit in silence as he starts eating a quite big slice of cake. I would say it’s lemon and vanilla. I turn my gaze back to my phone and keep texting to Yuuko and Minako.  
“So, how long have you been in Russia?” he asks, and I look up at him, smiling. He doesn’t smile back.  
“Two years. I’m just an exchange student, though.”  
He nods, “Do you like it here?”  
“Yeah,” I say, and for some reason, my grin grows a little wider. “It’s nice here. And even though the language is hard, I’m slowly adapting.”  
Now he smiles a little. “Good. And where are you from?”  
“Japan.”  
“Wow!” He looks actually amazed, but I don’t know why. There are plenty of Asian exchange students, like Japanese, Korean or even Chinese people. “And why Russia?”  
Some people have asked this question a few times, and I never knew what to say. Why, though?  
“I– uh, I actually have no idea,” I answer, and he frowns. But then he smiles again.  
“Cool. As long as you like it here.”  
We sit in silence again. This kid is so extroverted, unlike me. And he’s like fifteen or sixteen, having a conversation in English with a complete stranger, and yet I can’t say hi to that barista. I’m such a mess.  
Now my gaze falls onto the barista. He’s busy making some coffee, pouring milk into a plastic cup. Probably takeaway. I catch myself biting my lip.  
“Have you met him?” the kid now asks, and I snap back to reality. I blush.  
“Not yet.”  
“His name’s Viktor. Viktor Nikiforov.”  
“Do you know him?” I frown, tilting my head to the side slightly.  
“Yeah, the son of a– sorry… So, he was going to teach me English since he’s excellent at it. And guess what? The airhead forgot.”  
The fact that he called Viktor airhead makes me smile. “But your English is very good,” I say.  
“It is now,” he murmurs, turning back to face me. “I taught myself in the end.”  
I nod and look at Viktor again. Now I know his name.  
“How do you know him?” I ask, and he seems to think for a second before answering.  
“We’re neighbours. His parents and mine are best friends, like… you know, those ‘bestest friends in the whole world’ type of friends.”  
I laugh a little, “That must be cool.”  
“Hey, you want me to hook you up with him?”  
I blink a few times. Did he… Did he just use the word ‘hook up’?  
“Uhm, sorry, but the word you just said–“  
“Yeah, I said it on purpose. You’re clearly in love with that airhead.”  
I blush again, my cheeks are literally burning.  
“N-no, wait, we just met, and I’ve never talked to him! I don’t even know your name!”  
He runs his finger through his blond locks.  
“I’m Yuri Plisetsky. What’s yours?”  
“I’m Yuuri. Yuuri Katsuki.”  
Yuri looks up at me, slightly shocked.  
“You’re Yuri, too.”  
“Yeah,” I laugh. “With a little bit different pronunciation.”

 

***

 

Sometime later, we’re walking down the hill, the sun is shining bright. The air is so warm, I’m literally melting. We go and grab some ice cream and then sit on a bench near the river. I love it here so much. And Yuri seems nice.  
The surface of the river is sparkling, and the water is green and blue. There are small tables on the river side, and some people are sitting on them, enjoying the heat. You can see river cruises standing or slowly passing by.  
“So, how long has it been?”  
“What?” I turn toward Yuri.  
“How long have you been in love with that airhead?”  
I blush, my heart is pounding crazily in my chest, “I don’t know. I guess I lost count.”  
“Oh.” He chuckles. “And you seriously haven’t even tried to talk to him?”  
“Not really…” I shake my head and bite my ice cream which is extremely cold against my teeth. “I’m a mess.”  
“Yeah, you are.”  
When we finish our ice creams, we start to walk around. I find out that Yuri is in a high school nearby, and is currently living with his grandfather. He loves to cook, especially pirozhki, and it amazes me. I mean, I know how to cook. But still.  
We are in the middle of some small talk, when someone jumps on my back and I nearly fall over. From the corner of my eyes, I can see Yuri taking a step back, and the familiar scent makes me recognise the person on my back.  
“Phichit, get off me, you’re not exactly the lightest person, you know…”  
Phichit Chulanont, my best friend, gets off of me, and throws this bright smile. Bright enough to make people go blind.  
“Hey!” he greets, and turns to Yuri. “Is he your new friend?”  
“We basically just met,” the blond boy says, then smiles a bit. He doesn’t seem good around strangers, and yet, he is. Let’s just say he’s quite confusing. Or maybe he finds Phichit weird. “I’m Yuri Plisetsky.”  
“Oh, you’re Yuri, too!” Phichit’s brown eyes are sparkling. “I’m Phichit Chulanont!”  
“Let me guess. Exchange student.”  
My best friend nods, “Yup.”  
The three of us now sit on a bench, still pretty near to the river. I can smell the water from where we are sitting, and it’s very comforting. I smile a little to myself.  
“Hey, what are you smiling at?” Yuri asks.  
“Nothing, I’m just—uh…”  
“So, what are you going to do about this Viktor situation?”  
My heart is pounding again and I catch Phichit looking at me, eyes widening.  
“Who the hell is Viktor?”  
“His love,” Yuri points at me casually, as if he was talking about the weather.  
Phichit looks slightly offended and very confused.  
“Guess there’s something I don’t know about.”  
I shoot a glance at Yuri, then turn back to Phichit, licking my lips.  
“Well, there’s this barista at that café…”  
“Okay, well, details, Yuuri!” he gently punches me in the arm. “What barista? And what café?”  
So I tell him everything. I tell him how I’ve been coming to this café for a long time, and how I’ve fallen for Viktor Nikiforov, the charming, blond prince of the place. It’s weird, because despite that Phichit is my best friend, I’ve never talked about this. I look at Yuri who’s sitting on the top of the bench, legs crossed, chin in his palm. I bite my lip, and add the fact that Yuri actually knows Viktor.  
“Okay, so we need to hook you up with him,” Phichit nods, and Yuri laughs out.  
“That’s what I said and he was like ‘did you just say hook up?’ I mean, yeah, I did!”  
Now Phichit is the one laughing, and I blush again, deeply, my cheeks are literally burning. I guess this is what my day is going to be about: blushing, blushing and more blushing.  
“Case in point:” And Phichit now narrows his eyes, grinning at me, “Yuuri and this Viktor guy have. To. Be. Together.”  
I shriek in my head. Now my best friend and this stranger kid want to help me be with Viktor. But… What if he doesn’t want to be with me? I mean, come on! The chance that he ever noticed me since the first day I stepped into that café is zero! He has to deal with hundreds of customers a day. An even if he only works five days out of seven, that’s twenty days in a month. Twenty times one hundred customers. Do the maths.  
“So, let’s start with the basics!” Yuri now jumps off the bench, and starts walking up and down in front of us. “You need to talk to Viktor if you want any connection to him.”  
I nod, “Okay.”  
“Which means you need to talk to him,” Phichit adds, and now stands beside Yuri.  
“Yeah, okay, cool,” I say and try not to freak out. “Great, I’ve got this… in my head. I’ve imagined it thousands of times!”  
“Then you need to do it!” Phichit and Yuri say, then poke each other on the arm.  
“Tomorrow, when you come to get some coffee,” Yuri starts, crossing his arm, “You’ll ask him how he’s doing. That’s your daily task!”  
My mouth hangs open for a second, then I close it and swallow. I am so not ready for this. Okay, how do people do this? Like, how do people just walk up to their crush and talk? How can you even be casual? I can’t imagine the whole thing happening without me burning out and dying in front of Viktor. I literally just imagine a huge grey smoke coming out of my skull. It’s grotesque. But still, that’s likely to happen.  
Yuri now walks us back to the dorm, and says bye after that. Phichit and I ride the lift to the second floor to our room. Yeah, we are roommates. Our room is not too big – it comes with two single beds, two tables and chair, and wardrobes. It was so plain when we first moved in, but we made it look more like a home. I bought a deep red carpet, Phichit bought some plants, and we also decorated the walls with posters. We even have Christmas lights hanging on the walls. It makes you relax after a tough day.  
Phichit lies down onto his bed, staring at the ceiling, and I just sit down onto mine, still feeling quite nervous. I will have to talk to Viktor tomorrow. What if I don’t? It’s not like Phichit and Yuri can physically do anything to make me talk to him. Or maybe they can. God knows what they are capable of, especially because they seemed to get along well. I sigh, and Phichit sits up, looking at me.  
“You alright there, buddy?”  
“Yeah,” I say. “I’m just not quite ready.”  
“Well,” Phichit now stands up, walks toward me and sits down, his arm around my shoulder. “You will have to at least try to talk to him. You’re so hopelessly in love with that man.”  
“I am, but… Phichit, what if he doesn’t want to talk? I mean, what if he just sends me away, saying ‘I don’t have time to this’?”  
Phichit shakes his head, “Then you can say that you at least tried.”  
I sigh again, and none of us says a word. Later, I get a notification on my phone that Yuri Plisetsky added me on facebook. I go through his profile and find Viktor immediately. They have a bunch of pictures together, and Viktor is so handsome and charming on each of them. I can’t help but smile at the photos, and Phichit is smiling next to me. I will have to talk to him.  
I have to at least try.

 

***

 

The next day, I meet Yuri in the café. He’s sitting at the table we both sat yesterday, eating a full chocolate cake and drinking Fanta orange with ice. I go to the counter and ask for a latte, but this time it’s not Viktor there but a short, black-haired girl.  
“Takeaway?” she asks with a strong accent.  
“I’ll drink it here,” I say, smiling. She smiles back and a moment later, she hands me my coffee.  
I head for the table, and sit down across from Yuri. He stuffs a big bite of cake into his mouth.  
“So, the thing is, that Viktor has a day off today,” he says with his mouth full.  
I feel slightly disappointed. I even practiced in front of the mirror! How come he’s not here today?  
“Oh, well,” I manage to say. “So, now what?”  
He shrugs, finishing his cake, then takes a sip of his Fanta, “He works a lot so he’s probably sleeping. We’ll have to try tomorrow.”  
Karma must be kidding me. Yeah, that’s the case. Life has a strange sense of humour. I pull my phone out to text Phichit as he was very excited to hear any news I got. But the case is: I’ve got nothing.  
“Are you texting that friend of yours?” Yuri asks.  
“Yup.”  
I finish my coffee pretty quickly this time. As Viktor is not here, there is no point in sitting here. I actually just realise that I’ve been always sitting in here for hours only when Viktor was here so I could stare at him. Yuri and I leave the café, and walk around the block. Then he smiles a little and waves to someone I don’t recognise – a red-haired girl. She waves back and also blows a kiss toward Yuri. He rolls his eyes.  
“That’s Mila Babicheva over there,” he says. “She’s quite cool, but sometimes too much.”  
“What do you mean by too much?” I ask with a small chuckle.  
“Like blowing kisses at a sixteen-year-old?”  
I laugh, “So, she’s older.”  
“She’s only eighteen, but looks like twenty-five.”  
Now we walk up to Mila. She throws a huge grin, and she has this angelic, beautiful face. Her short hair is curled up, her green eyes are shining.  
“New friend, Yurochka?” she asks with a perfect accent. I mean, I would totally think she’s not Russian.  
“Kind of,” Yuri nods. “This is Yuuri Katsuki.”  
“Oh my, same name!” Now she turns toward me, smiling. “Hi! I’m Mila.”  
We shake hands.  
“Yuuri.”  
“So, you’re the kid Yuri met yesterday,” she then says. “He told me that you’re an exchange student.”  
“Yeah,” I smile. “I still have one year left. And then I’ll probably go back to study in Japan.”  
“Nice!” We sit on a bench, and Mila looks up at the bright blue sky. “I skate.”  
I frown, slightly surprised. “You do?”  
“Oh, yeah,” now she grins again, and she looks excited and passionate. “I love it. I wanna win the nationals next year.”  
I’m amazed. This sounds so cool! I still haven’t figured out what to do with my life. But it always amazes me when someone knows what they want to do. Also, skating sounds fun. I’ve only seen it on TV a few times, but it never got me interested.  
Soon, we decide to head to the city centre. We need to take a bus and an underground train for that, but it’s still fun. I haven’t really gone anywhere this far from the dorm. I’m capable of getting lost. When we arrive, the first thing Mila and Yuri decide to show me is the palace. I can’t believe I haven’t checked it yet. When I see it, my mouth falls open, and I bet there are stars in my eyes. The palace is a long building, with lots of people surrounding it. On the top, you can see the Russian flag. The gate is made of iron, and is black, and is the prettiest thing I have seen in Russia so far. I just adore it so much! Yuri and Mila smile next to me.  
“You seem to like it,” she says.  
“I do!” I say a little too excited. “It’s so beautiful.”  
Yuri now wraps his arm around my shoulder, laughing. We walk around slowly, buying ice creams and drinks, and this day is just amazing. A moment later, Yuri stops.  
“Umm…”  
“What?” I frown, and Mila seems confused, too.  
Yuri point at a huge crowd of people, “Viktor alert!”  
My hearts starts to race like crazy, and Mila becomes more confused. Neither Yuri nor I begin to explain it. Yuri grabs my arm, and pulls me into the crowd, but Viktor is gone. He’s gasping, and so do I, but we can’t find Prince Charming anywhere.  
Alright, maybe I shouldn’t call Viktor Prince Charming…  
“Shoot!” Yuri yells, wiping his forehead. “Screw him!”  
“Okay, I’ll just catch him later tomorrow,” I say. “Let’s find Mila. We left her behind.”  
So we turn around and head back, and Mila is standing outside the crowd, frowning.  
“Were you guys racing or something?”  
“Nope, we tried to catch Viktor,” Yuri answers. I don’t think I want Mila to know that we chased him because of me.  
“Oh, he just texted me,” she says. “He’s heading home. And he just saw you with your new _boyfriend_.”  
My eyes widen, and Yuri facepalms.  
“I… No, I’m not gonna comment this.”  
“I will just head home,” I swallow hard, and start to walk to the metro station.

 

***

 

When I get back to the dorm, I jump on my bed and scream into my pillow. I can feel Phichit’s gaze on me.  
“Well, that’s a way to get rid of stress.” His voice is uncertain, I bet he’s a little confused.  
“Yuri and I were gonna catch Viktor in the city centre, and… now he thinks I’m dating Yuri!”  
There’s a few seconds of silence before Phichit starts to laugh unstoppably. I turn my gaze at him, and his face is buried into his blanket, his back is shaking from laughter.  
“How… How is that possible?” he asks, still laughing, his voice is a little higher.  
“I don’t know,” I shake my head, turning around on my bed. “It’s like a bad comedy.”  
“It sure is.”  
Our phones start to buzz at once, and we look at the screen. There’s a group chat created with Yuri, Phichit and me. Then I see Yuri adding Mila to the group.  
“Hey, who’s Mila?” Phichit lifts his eyebrows.  
“I just met her today. A friend of Yuri’s.”  
_Alright, Yuuri, there’s something off in the system!_  
I text back.  
_Tell me about it!_  
Phichit and I look at each other, and then a new text appears. It’s Yuri again.  
_So, you, me, that friend of yours and Mila will meet tomorrow at eleven! Don’t be late or I’ll have to kick some ass._  
It seems that Yuri has a plan. Phichit shrugs, and I do the same. Something has to be done! Viktor can’t think I’m dating Yuri. I mean, he’s a lot younger than me. And he’s not even my type.  
Both I and Phichit type okay, and the meeting is settled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_**Yuri** _

 

The group chat is created. I kind of want to barge into Viktor’s apartment, and hit him. How could he think I’m Yuuri’s boyfriend? I would never want to be with someone this… I don’t even know. Okay, don’t get me wrong. He’s a nice dude. But he’s so silly and too shy. I wouldn’t be able to take it if I was his boyfriend. Viktor knows me well. And he should know this.  
So, apparently, there’s the five of us in this chat. Yuuri, his friend, Mila, Georgi (don’t question it, I don’t know why), and me. Well, that’s a gang for you! Yuuri is panicking, I can tell by the way he’s writing. Fast replies. OMG’s everywhere. This kid is going to get a heart attack real soon. Or a stroke. He needs to chill out, seriously.  
I was going to ask Viktor why he thought I was with Yuuri. But I decided not to. Why? Because plot twist, that’s why. I’m an evil little kid. Not too evil, but if someone’s stupid enough to think this, I’m down for some games.  
I have some plans. First of all, I need to bring the whole squad to the café. Maybe Viktor and Yuuri will not feel that shy around each other if the rest of us is there with them. I mean, that’s what my logical thinking says. But god knows, these two are destroying the law of logical thinking. They’re perfect for each other, seriously.  
My phone pings, and I expect a message from the group chat, but it’s just a foreign friend of mine.  
 _Are you up to much?_ , he asks.  
 _Gotta pair up these idiots. You know, I already told you the story._  
He sends a laughing emoji. _Good luck. Don’t be rude tho. People tend to be shy around others._  
He’s right, though. But it still bugs me. I mean, Yuuri said he’s been going to that café for a long time. Probably talked to Viktor, even if it was just a ‘good morning’ or a ‘can I get a coffee, please?’. That’s a start, no matter how I look at it. If you can say this much, you can add a ‘how are you anyway?’, can’t you?  
I type back, _Okay, imma try_.  
Yuuri and Phichit are having a constant conversation with Mila and Georgi. I muted them. Their talk has nothing to do with the topic. I wonder how my plan will work out.  
Then it hits me.  
I don’t even know when Viktor works. So I dial him. He picks up immediately, his voice is sleepy.  
“Yuri?” He pauses, I can hear him groan. “Why are you calling?”  
“I just wanna ask when you’re working from tomorrow.”  
There’s a long silence, I’m guessing he’s looking for his rota. Then he finally replies.  
“Every day until Friday. Why? You wanna come in or something?”  
“Yup.” I even nod to the phone. “Is that okay?”  
“Yeah, I mean, from Monday to Wednesday it’s usually quiet. And from Thursday to Sunday it’s busy as hell, so you might not want to come on those days. Not because it’s busy, but because you wouldn’t be able to sit down,” he explains quickly.  
I think for a moment. I’ll take the squad there on… Maybe I should talk to them, first.  
“Okay, thanks, Viktor.”  
“Did you seriously call me just to ask that?” he asks. As if I committed a crime.  
“Yeah. That’s all I wanted to know. I need more of that lemon cake.” I know, it’s a ridiculous reason, but I couldn’t come up with anything better.  
He laughs. I think he believed me.  
“Okay then. See you later.”  
I hang up, and open the group chat.  
 _Hey  
You guys wanna hang out in the café one of the following days: Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday?_  
No reply for a long time. Then I see multiple people typing at once. Obviously Yuuri replies first.  
 _All of us? Uh… I mean…_  
Then his friend, Phichit sends a text right after Yuuri’s.  
 _You said meeting at eleven tomorrow :P_  
I face-palm. How could I forget? I sigh, and type.  
 _Yeah, right. Tomorrow is Wednesday anyway. So we can meet. There._  
Yuuri sends a shocked emoji. Mila sends an okay hand. Georgi doesn’t reply. And I don’t need a reply from Phichit. I know he would want to be there. Gossip boy, that’s what he is. I wonder how he can handle Yuuri. He probably got used to him.  
I sigh again. It’s time to pair them up.

 

***

 

At eleven, I meet Yuuri and Phichit in front of the café. I’ve been watching Viktor working for half an hour. It’s not busy at all, so he has to be able to handle the four of us. But where the hell is Mila? If she’s late, I’ll murder her!  
But she arrives right after Yuuri and Phichit.  
“Okay, party on,” Mila says as we step into the café. Yuuri frowns and stops.  
“What?” I ask him.  
“Why is Mila here anyway?”  
“She knows the story.”  
“What?” Yuuri nearly shrieks. “Did you--?”  
“No!” Honestly, it wasn’t me. “She put the puzzles together. She’s not stupid.”  
Yuuri gulps, his face is flustered. Oh, god, don’t fall apart now, kid! But he nods, and I feel relieved. We walk to the counter. There’s a black-haired girl cleaning one of the coffee machines, and now she smiles at us. Then Viktor appears, he looks slightly shocked. I bet he didn’t expect so many of us here.  
“Yuri!” he turns to me. “I thought you’d come alone?”  
He speaks in Russian, and Phichit and Yuuri are a little confused. Next to them, Mila crosses her arms.  
“That wasn’t nice,” she says with a small smirk. “I’ve never been to this place before.”  
“Excuse me,” Phichit cuts in, and the three of us now glance at him and Yuuri, “English, please!”  
“Ah. Sorry,” Viktor says, and smiles at… Yuuri. Not at the four of us. Only at Yuuri. And the kid blushes deeply. He’s so predictable. Oh my god. Viktor, put the puzzles together! “So what’s your order today, guys?”  
Yuuri glances up at the menu as if he hasn’t been ordering the same latte for a while. Phichit looks up as well.  
“Can I have that lemon cake?” I ask, and Viktor nods.  
“Wow, Yurotchka, someone’s excited about that cake!” Mila teases me.  
“Shut up!” I turn back to Viktor. “And a coke.”  
I pay and he gives me my cake and a paper cup for the fountain machine. I walk over there, and watch the others ordering. Yuuri gets his usual latte – but this time he orders a chocolate cake as well. Nice one! The more things he orders, the more time he gets. Progress.  
Finally, we sit down at a big table. Everyone has a coffee, except me. Wow. I’m good with my coke. Never really tried coffee before. I’m planning to, though.  
I catch Yuuri’s glance wandering to Viktor. He’s just casually cleaning, there’s hardly a few people in here today. Then Viktor looks up. And their glances meet.  
Viktor smiles shyly and turns away. On the other hand, Yuuri’s face is so red I wonder how his brain hasn’t blown up yet. Phichit gently pats him on the back, Mila is holding her laughter back, and I’m only shaking my head. They’re so impossible.  
A few minutes passes, and Viktor comes to our table, sitting down next to me. Yuuri is totally done.  
“I think you should be working,” I say, and only after I realise I’m using Russian.  
“There’s no one here now, I’m good,” he replies in Russian as well. “So, you wanna introduce me to your boyfriend?”  
I sigh. Mila is laughing, and Yuuri and Phichit are looking at us, confused. Then Phichit raises an eyebrow. And it hits me – the little prick understands us!  
I shoot a death glance at him. He smiles.  
“I was gonna talk to you about it,” I turn to Viktor, still using Russian. “Look, I-- I don’t understand how you can be so fucking stupid sometimes!”  
“Pardon me?”  
“He’s not my boyfriend!”  
Viktor’s face goes surprised, then relieved, then happy.  
“Oh. He isn’t?” he asks with a smile. He’s smiling at me like a kid smiles at their parents. I wonder what we look like right now. Or maybe I don’t want to know.  
“Nope,” I shake my head. “You can have him.”  
Now Viktor blushes. I mean, his whole head is tomato red.  
“I-- I don’t--”  
“Viktor, I know you want him,” I roll my eyes. “Just go for it, okay?”  
He smiles at me again, nods, then waves bye to the others, and leaves. I shake my head as I drink my coke, then my glance falls onto the others. Oops. I forgot about them.  
“Sorry, guys, emergency talk.”  
“Yeah, about some kind of boyfriend,” Phichit says with this weird face. Shit. Yuuri might be his best friend, but he’s down for plot twists as well. Oh boy, it’s going to be a pain in the neck.  
“Huh?” Yuuri looks up at us. His face looks disappointed.  
“That’s kind of all I understood,” Phichit ads with a shrug. “Can we hear about that talk, Yuri?”  
“I mean, you misunderstood it,” Mila cuts in. “It was just a silly talk.”  
Yuuri sighs. He glances at Viktor one more time before leaving. Oh boy, don’t do this!  
“That smile. The way he smiled at you. Thanks, Yuri. You wanted to help me, but you helped yourself, right?”  
All I can do is blink. I don’t know what he’s talking about, but it makes me so angry that it’s probably better if I don’t even say a thing now. Yuuri looks at me as if I was an enemy. What the hell?  
“No, Yuuri, please...” Mila says quietly, but before she can go on, Yuuri leaves the café. Phichit looks after him for a while before turning back.  
“What was it about? He’s weird. I mean he’s kind of disappointed now, but I’m willing to listen.”  
Mila and I look at each other. Before we can talk, Georgi barges in, and sits down.  
“Sorry, what did I miss?” he asks in Russian. I face-palm, and Mila bursts out laughing.  
“Who is this?” Phichit asks. Georgi seems confused, but then he gets it.  
“Oh, sorry, I’m in the group. I’m invited. I was late, though.”  
Phichit nods uncertainly.  
“Okay, we’ll tell you everything later,” I say to Georgi. Then I turn to Phichit. “Hear me out, please.”  
“I’m all ears.”  
So Mila and I tell him everything. And in the end, he ends up laughing so loud and hard that people around us now are looking towards our table.  
The show is on.  
Plot twist for you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**_Yuuri_ **

 

Probably hours have passed as I’m lying on my bed, face buried into the pillow. How could Yuri do this to me? He knew it. He knew that I was into Viktor from the start! And now they’re talking about some boyfriend, and they’re smiling at each other like lovers, I… I can’t take this.  
I wish I could be in Hasetsu right now, away from all of these things.  
I hear the door opening and someone now sits down onto the edge of my bed. It’s Phichit.  
“Yuuri...”  
“Huh?”  
“You’re such a dramatic little b… you know, what.”  
I sit up with a possibly offended face.  
“Phichit… Just… don’t. Okay?”  
Phichit laughs, I don’t know why. I remember when I dated this girl from campus, and the day she ditched me Phichit was just as sad as me. And now he’s laughing. I’m starting to think that Yuri traded him for someone else.  
“Okay. Well, everything’s gonna turn out just okay, and you’re gonna see that.”  
“Okay?” I frown. “Like, how exactly?”  
“Just go with the flow, Yuuri.”  
That’s all he says before putting on his headset. His music is loud through the headset, and I can assure anyone that he has a pretty weird taste.  
But that’s not the point now.  
I’m pretty sure Phichit knows something and holds it back. I just wish I knew why. It seems like he won’t just tell me so I think I’ll indeed have to go with the flow. I mean, he’s Phichit after all. My bestest friend. And if he has a plan – even if he doesn’t tell me now – I’ve gotta trust him.  
We spend the rest of the day in the dorm room, he keeps on listening to music and gaming for hours, and I’m trying to study or just get some work done. I’ve tidied my table, like, three times. Now I’m just doing some calligraphy with kanjis. Since I’ve been studying in Russia, I rarely use handwriting any more. I’ve gotta stay in shape. And it also helps me relax and think about something else other than that boyfriend Yuri and Viktor were talking about.  
“Wow, that’s pretty,” I hear Phichit saying behind me. “You should teach me some of these characters sometime.”  
I nod with a small smile.  
“Definitely.”  
“Wanna go out and drink tonight? Or tomorrow night?”  
“What?”  
“I mean, we’re twenty-two, they should let us in with ID.”  
“Phichit, I’m literally a mess,” I turn towards him, but he keeps smiling at me, and it seems like he will never leave me alone unless I say yes. So I just sigh and stay quiet.  
“That’s why I want to drag you out,” he replies. “And god knows, maybe… maybe Viktor will be out there somewhere, too.”  
“So, you wanna go from bar to bar and see if we bump into him? Or walk around in Saint Petersburg hoping that we’d see him? While getting drunk?”  
“Yuuri, you have too many questions...” Phichit cuts in, but it doesn’t stop me from going on with my little speech.  
“So then what? We meet him. What do we say? What do I say?”  
Phichit shrugs with a shy smile.  
“Maybe you could say, ‘Hey, Viktor, are you and Yuri dating? Isn’t he too young for you?’”  
“Ha ha, very funny, Phichit...”  
I turn back to my calligraphy with a loud sigh, but I can still tell that Phichit is standing right behind me.  
“Please…”  
“Phichit, you’re not dragging me out. And I’m not willing to talk about it anymore!”

 

*

 

Yes, I know. I said no. But please, tell me why I’m out in a bar with Phichit, drinking a Sex on the Beach cocktail. Because that’s what’s happening. And I’m getting tipsy.  
“Phichit, for the last time, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”  
“Come on, relax, Yuuri,” he shouts through the loud music, leaning closer to me. “Besides, Yuri and Mila are going to join as well.”  
“What?” That’s a complete surprise. I mean, shock. A huge, massive shock. “Why would I hang out with them after all that happened?”  
“Because you’re a dramatic prick?”  
“Phichit!”  
“Okay, fine,” Phichit sighs, finishing his drink, then asking for another one. “Yuri said that he wants to drag Viktor out since he’s been acting weird. So have you, so… Why not act weird together?”  
I roll my eyes.  
“Are you with me or against me?”  
“I’m with the idea of you finally hooking up with Viktor, and against the idea of you being a dramatic prick.”  
Before I can say anything, someone pokes my shoulder, and I face Yuri and Mila as I turn around. Yuri seems quite angry.  
“Are you out of your mind, idiot?” he attacks me, leaning so close that his forehead almost touches mine. “How could you just stand up and leave when I was trying to fucking get you two together!”  
All I can do is blink and hold my breath. I have no idea what he’s talking about, so for now, I don’t say a word.  
“Alright, come on, people will think you’re fighting, and you’re gonna get thrown out,” Phichit cuts in, gently pulling Yuri away from me. I sigh in relief and keep staring at my glass. What the hell was that?  
“Okay, I’m willing to continue helping you if you stop being childish and won’t run away again,” Yuri adds, sitting down right next to me.  
“Come to think of it, how is it possible that they let you in? You’re only sixteen,” I say, and I honestly have no idea why I’m changing the topic. Probably because I don’t get Yuri at all. First, that boyfriend thing. And now he wants to help me again.  
“I have my ways,” he shrugs. “But let’s not talk about that now. What the fuck was that? When you left the café.”  
Now I’m the one to shrug.  
“You guys started to talk about some kind of boyfriend, and kept speaking Russian, and kept looking at each other like lovers, so I left. Guess you want him more than me.”  
I turn to look at Yuri. There’s this disbelief on his face, as if there were some invisible question marks above his head like in kids cartoons. His mouths is hanging open and he’s slightly shaking his head. I kind of have the feeling that he would slap me if he could.  
“And here I thought university people were smart. Well, you’re the complete opposite,” he yelled furiously. “Why the fuck would I want that old fart?”  
“I-- uh...”  
“Listen up, you’re hopeless, but Viktor’s gonna be here soon, so we don’t have much time. I’ll get Phichit and Mila away and direct that bastard to you. Capiche?”  
“Understood,” I nod. Suddenly, all the hope I thought I’ve lost comes back to me. And my heart is beating fast. Viktor is going to be here! What do I say to him?  
“You’ll need to stay here. Don’t even move. Not even an inch!” Yuri orders, and I nod again. I think I’ll just keep nodding. I don’t think he’d accept no as an answer. He seems to have a good plan for this, and I think I trust him again.  
Yuri orders a drink – some vodka with ice, and it kind of surprises me –, chugs it, and puts the glass down. My mouth falls wide open. People often make this weird face when they chug alcohol. Yuri’s muscles on his face doesn’t even move!  
“Any questions?”  
“N-Nothing,” I stutter. “I’ll just… sit here.”  
“Good. Now get your shit together, stop stuttering and being an anxious mess! If everything goes well, you’re getting laid tonight.”  
And I spit my drink out.  
“What the heck?”  
“Come on, you’ve been in love with that prick, you must be sexually frustrated as hell.”  
“Y-Yuri…!”  
“Okay, I’ll go and get everyone away from you, so you can get mentally prepared for Viktor,” Yuri says, and without saying anything else, he leaves.  
Here I am. Sitting at the counter with a glass of drink, all alone amongst a lot of people, waiting for the man I’ve been in love with, the man I’ve been just stalking, to come. It’s like a Disney movie. Whatever happens, in the end, the prince always comes to rescue you. I guess Viktor is my prince to come and rescue me. Rescue me from what?  
From being the fool in the story, I suppose.  
I smile to these silly thought. No one’s a fool or a prince. It’s just… how life works sometimes. I down the last of my drink, and for a moment, I’m thinking about ordering another, but then I don’t. It would be inconvenient to get drunk before Viktor arrives.  
The bartender says something in Russian, and then repeats it in English when he sees the confused expression on my face. He just wants to know if I want anything. I shake my head and hand him my empty glass, which he puts into the sink, then walks away to serve some other people. At one point, some drunk chick tries to hook up with me, but I reject.  
And half an hour passes, but Viktor is still not here. I try to find Yuri and the others in the crowd. They are pretty far from me, but I can still see Yuri staring at the screen of his phone angrily, typing like crazy. Then he looks up and catches my glance. He smiles a little and gives a thumbs up. I don’t know what’s going on, but he seems confident. Angry as hell, but still confident.  
But I can’t share that confidence. He said we didn’t have much time, and I assumed Viktor would be here by now, but he isn’t. And I’ve been waiting for over thirty minutes. I’m not sure if I’m getting frustrated or sad.  
I take a glance at Yuri again, and now Mila is standing right beside him. They’re staring at Yuri’s phone, Mila points at the screen, then looks at me, waves, then turns back to the phone. Wish I knew what was going on, but if I left my place, Yuri would kill me for sure. Besides, I’m pretty sure if I left now, Viktor would just step into the bar and would never find me.  
I take a deep breath and then exhale long. I need to be patient. I need to trust Yuri, and I definitely need to wait and see how it turns out. It should be alright. It should be.  
But my hands are shaking, and anxiety is crawling up in my chest. My stomach is clenched. Every time someone steps into the bar I expect it to be Viktor, but it’s never him.  
And an hour has passed. Yuri is still on his phone, looking angrier than he was just a few minutes ago. Mila is face-palming, and Phichit is shaking his head. I want to know what’s going on! I know that Yuri is chatting with Viktor. And I think he can’t get him here for some reason. Why? Does Viktor still think that Yuri and I are together?  
But then it finally happens. Viktor is here. I can’t keep my eyes off him. He looks stunning! He’s dressed casually, but still. Black hoodie with a red shirt under it, dark blue skinny jeans, his hair is shining, and I’m sure it’s soft.  
I wanna touch his hair.  
Damn, I wanna touch him!  
I get off the high chair, and take a step towards him while he’s looking around, probably looking for Yuri. And then our glances meet, and my heart skips a beat. I love this man so much, and he’s staring at me with his lips slightly parted, his face rose red.  
He starts to slowly walk towards me, and I do the same, until we meet halfway.  
And there we’re standing, with people dancing around us. We’re just looking at each other, and I have no idea what might be going on in his head. Hell, I don’t even know what’s going on in mine. All I know that he’s finally here.  
And he’s looking right at me.  
Only me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**_Yuri_ **

 

After Yuuri left, Phichit looks at me, waiting for an explanation. I know, I fucked up, I got carried away talking to Viktor. Mila and I quickly tell him what we were talking about. Yuuri is not my boyfriend, and I’m not Viktor’s. And Phichit laughs so hard, people are looking at us.  
“Are you serious?” he asks with a high-pitched voice.  
“I’m, like, damn serious,” I hiss. “Shit, I’m so mad right now.”  
I take a glance at Viktor who’s busy with work. He has quite a few people to serve, and people at the tables closest to him are chatting and laughing loudly, so I’m sure he can’t hear us. I’m trying to calm down before talking to Phichit. Viktor is a cool man, I admit that, but I take it as a personal offence that Yuuri assumed I’m dating him.  
“Okay, well, what are we going to do?” Phichit asks. He stopped laughing, his laughing-crying face is now serious and worried.  
“Man, I don’t know. You’re that dumb kid’s best friend, you have to convince him that Viktor and I aren’t dating.”  
“Okay, how?”  
“You just need to talk to him,” Mila cuts in with the suggestion.  
“And I’ll talk to that airhead Viktor,” I shoot a glance at him again. And then I sigh loudly. “He likes Yuuri, that’s for sure.”  
“How did he even end up liking Yuuri?” Phichit asks, chewing on the corner of his lip. “I mean… Okay, Yuuri fell in love with him because he’s been coming here, he’s been amused by his customer service and stuff like that, but, to Viktor, isn’t he just a regular customer?”  
“According to Viktor’s experiences,” Georgi starts speaking now, and we collectively stare at him. He hasn’t really spoken ever since he’s set his foot in the café, “the more you visit the same place, the bigger the chance to be known amongst the staff.”  
“And by that, you mean they remember you?”  
Georgi nods.  
“You recognise a couple of them after a while.”  
Phichit makes this amused face. I frown.  
“You didn’t know that?” I ask.  
“Nah. I’m always out at different places. Not always at the same like Yuuri.”  
I roll my eyes. Mila next to me seems a little concerned. Damn, she doesn’t even know Yuuri or Phichit. Even I don’t know them. It’s weird how I just met that silly kid, and I’m helping him hooking up with Viktor. Suddenly, I feel quite crazy for this, but it’s too late. I’m doing this. We’re doing this, and those two will get laid tonight.  
“Phichit, I’m telling you the plan,” I look him in the eyes, and he stands my glance. He’s listening. He’s cooperating.  
“What would it be?”  
“We all will meet up in a bar not too far from here. Tonight. Around nine. I’ll get Viktor, you get Yuuri. Deal?”  
He throws a grin. He’s always up for stuff like this. I like the kid.  
I give him the location of the bar, and then he leaves. Mila, Georgi and I are getting ready to leave, too. I take a glance at Viktor, and he notices me. I walk up to him. Luckily, there’s no new customer, so he has a couple of free minutes.  
“What’s up, Yurotcha?”  
“Call me Yurotcha again, and I’ll kill you,” I roll my eyes. Then I get to the point. “You, me, Mila, Georgi. Out in the usual bar tonight. You in? I mean, you’re definitely in.”  
But Viktor makes this weird face which indicates that he’s totally not in.  
“I don’t know, Yuri...”  
“Come, we drink a little, you can cry about how Makkachin is the cutest dog in the entire universe.”  
He chuckles and puts a cup down.  
“I’ll see.”

 

*

 

He said, he’ll see. So why is it that I’m trying to reach this bastard and I can’t? We’re supposed to meet up with Phichit and Yuuri in an hour. Mila is all dressed up, her make-up is on point, and Georgi is planning to stay home. It’s not like he has to come. But I need them. The three of us can convince Yuuri that I’m not Viktor’s boyfriend. And then Phichit jumps in, saying ‘yeah, that’s right,’ and problem is solved!  
But life is not a fairy tale, I guess.  
That’s why we’re heading out to a bar. And Viktor’s not online. I can’t reach him through the phone, either. Screw him, really. If he messes up the plan, I’ll kick him in the face. I could at least get Georgi to come with us.  
At the bar’s door, the security guy is staring at me for a long moment, and I get scared that the usual trick won’t work this time.  
“He’s with adult guidance,” Mila throws her perfect smile, and for a second, the guy seems concerned, but then he lets us in.  
Thank god, this trick never fails.  
We find Phichit and Yuuri immediately, and I get angry again. I guess my subconscious connected anger with Yuuri. Because his drama and his childishness causes my anger, apparently.  
“Are you out of your mind idiot?” As I yell at him, I feel my phone buzzing. Hopefully it’s Viktor, but I need to settle this first. “How could you just stand up and leave when I was trying to fucking get you two together!”  
He looks a little scared. Maybe I’m too much. Shit, I don’t care. Let’s get down to business. And not to defeat the Huns. We get into a little argument. Well, more like me yelling at him, and him backing off.  
“Listen up, you’re hopeless, but Viktor’s gonna be here soon, so we don’t have much time. I’ll get Phichit and Mila away and direct that bastard to you. Capiche?”  
“Understood,” Yuuri nods, but he seems anxious. His mind is probably filled with possible scenarios about the outcome.  
“You’ll need to stay here. Don’t even move. Not even an inch!” I tell him. Then I order a drink, chug it, and turn back to him. “Any questions?”  
“Okay, I’ll go and get everyone away from you, so you can get mentally prepared for Viktor,” I add before leaving him, dragging Mila, Georgi and Phichit with me.  
And from the distance, we’re watching. Mila is talking to some guy not too far from us, and Georgi seems quite bored, but Phichit and I are watching out. Waiting patiently. Viktor shouldn’t take long to come. But after a while, I check my phone, and thirty minutes have passed.  
Then I remember that my phone was buzzing while I was trying not to kill Yuuri.  
Fuck…  
I take a glance at it, and it’s a few texts from Viktor.  
_Hey, you there?_  
I’m not coming tonight. I’m quite exhausted and Makkachin threw up, so…  
That fricking liar! I text back a little too aggressively. Phichit is staring at the screen, I don’t know why, though, as far as I’m aware, he’s not that fluent in Russian.  
_Viktor, Makkachin hasn’t thrown up since you learned how to feed him right! You’re following a strict diet there. Liar._  
He takes a few minutes to reply. Meanwhile, I catch Yuuri’s glance, and I smile at him as if everything was okay. Well, the plan went well until I saw Viktor’s text.  
_Look, I can’t make it._  
I’m trying my hardest not to punch the wall behind me. Phichit seems to understand what’s going on because he makes this concerned face, and whispers something like ‘now what?’.  
Please tell me we’re not screwed.  
And then an hour passes, and Viktor is not here. Instead of coming, he’s bombing me with texts.  
_Do you think Makkachin would love this new toy?_  
I swear I’ll kill him the very next time I see him.  
_Just get your ass here!_ , I reply. Mila is now here as well, face-palming, muttering something under her breath. Phichit is silent, probably wondering how Yuuri could have fallen for a dumb-ass like Viktor. Well, maybe they’re perfect for each other.  
_Look, Viktor, I’m tryna hook you up with that Japanese kid, so get here because he’s waiting._  
He checks my text, and starts typing instantly. Then he just keeps typing and typing, probably deleting and rewriting his message, until he finally sends it.  
_On my way._  
“Finally!” I say a little too loud. Some people turn to look at us.  
“He’s the perfect match for Yuuri,” Phichit says with a loving smile.  
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” I sigh.  
I take a step forward to walk up to Yuuri and tell him that Viktor is just bitching around and is going to be here in a second, but then said person steps in, saving the day. Well, not a superhero type, but still makes a scene. A scene only the six of us involved understands.  
And we’re watching them as they walk up to each other, and I’m smiling. I’m truly happy that they’re finally at this stage. And I’m happy that I can stop babysitting their asses in this situation.  
They start chatting as they’re slowly walking back to the bar counter, Viktor asks for a drink, and Yuuri is watching him. Watching his every move.  
“Guys, we did it,” Phichit says randomly, and I turn to him, rolling my eyes.  
“Sorry, correction. I did it.”  
“Yeah, credits to you, Yuri,” he smiles at me, and I’m smiling back.  
I have no idea what those two might be chatting about, but I don’t care as long as they’re doing so. And hopefully they’re not gonna fight or assume that it’s all a trap set by me or some shit. After all that happened, I can imagine this happening.  
Even from this distance, I can see the sparkles in Viktor’s eyes. The way he looks at Yuuri, the way he’s smiling at him… I kind of wish I had someone like this.  
And obviously not Viktor.  
I walk up to the counter and sit on one of the high chairs, still watching Viktor and Yuuri. Now that I think about it, it’s going to be weird to see Viktor around with a boyfriend. I guess I’ll have to stop hanging out in his apartment.  
“Can I get you something?” the bartender asks, and I shake my head.  
“You’re a different bartender,” I say. It’s not the guy who served me before I left Yuuri at the other end of the counter.  
“What do you mean?” he frowns. Looks like a forever pokerface.  
“I mean, someone else served me just a while ago,” I shrug. “Just a remark, nothing else.”  
Now he leans closer, like, awfully close, and suddenly whispers in my ear:  
“Aren’t you too young to be drinking here?”  
And I almost fall off the chair.  
“Man, what the fuck?”  
He rolls his eyes while wiping some glasses.  
“Seriously, were you expecting something else?”  
“N-No...” I can’t believe I’m blushing! “It’s just… People don’t do shit like that!”  
Now he leans forward again, but not as close, elbow on the counter, his chin in his palms. For a moment, I’m just sitting there with a frown and a possibly weird face, then it hits me. He’s listening. He really wants to know how I got in here and how I managed to stay in drinking without getting thrown out.  
Why is he like that? He’s supposed to be mixing cocktails and chatting with hot chicks or hot dudes, whatever. Why would a random bartender want to know all this? Why am I so interesting to him?  
“Give me the best cocktail you can, and then I might talk.”  
Damn, since when did I get this fucking flirty?  
I shoot a glance at Viktor and Yuuri one last time. They’re okay. A minute later, the bartender gives me this lilac coloured drink, and I take a sip. It tastes like heaven.  
“So?” is all he says, looking me in the eyes.  
And I start to tell him. Not only the story behind how the sixteen-year-old me is drinking here right now. No, I tell him all. About Viktor and Yuuri. About how I just saved the day. I tell him everything.  
Why?  
I don’t know. I guess I just wanna talk. I wanna talk it out. Because this shit is damn crazy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_**Final** _

**_Yuuri_ **

 

Viktor and I are sitting at the counter, he asks for a drink, and I just can’t keep my eyes off him. He takes a sip of his drink, then shoots a glance at me.  
“Are you not drinking?”  
I love how he just asked a question and yet his voice is so soft and caring. I guess this is one of the reasons I have fallen head over heels in love with him.  
“I’ve had some drinks a while ago,” I manage to say without stuttering.  
He sighs and I sigh as well, and Viktor keeps staring at his glass quietly, tapping his fingers on the counter. I don’t say a word as it seems like he’s about to talk. He just needs time, I guess. It’s nice to just sit here and stare at his face. Because his face is perfection. As if he was created by angels with extreme care.  
Then he turns towards me and slowly lifts his gaze at me. His blue eyes are sparkling.  
“I-- uh, I’m sorry,” he says and I can barely hear him through the loud music. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”  
I shake my head.  
“Just don’t worry about it.”  
“Of course I worry about it,” he replies, his voice is louder and deeper this time. I’m certain that he’s anxious. I am, too. “I was stupid and kept you waiting. Even though Yuri was trying to get me here harder than I could have imagined.”  
I frown a little.  
“What do you mean?”  
“I’ve never seen him being this enthusiastic about my personal life,” Viktor chuckles, and chugs his drink. “He kept texting me, calling me, convincing me that he’s not dating you.”  
We fall into silence again, and I decide to get a drink. Viktor smiles as I take a sip of my cocktail. He orders one more drink as well. We’re drinking in silence, I’m not very sure what to say. Maybe it’s alright. Maybe being silent isn’t as bad as I think it is. I mean, the most important thing is that Viktor is here, and none of us is overthinking now.  
“You came from Japan, didn’t you?” Viktor suddenly asks.  
“Yup,” I nod. “Why?”  
He shrugs with a small smile.  
“Just asked. I wasn’t sure.”  
I nod and smile. He bursts out laughing. And it’s, like, the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. Almost perfect.  
“So, why would you think that Yuri and I were together?” I ask out of nowhere.  
Viktor is staring at me for a long moment before answering my question.  
“I-- uh,” he starts shyly, his cheeks slightly flustered. “I fell in love with someone once. Thing were going great, we met up a lot for dates and all that sort of stuff, you know. But then that person had fallen for someone else, and I was left there with my unrequited feelings and a broken heart.”  
He stops for a second, and I’m giving him all my attention. Heck, I’m even holding my breath.  
“I guess this is how your brain works sometimes,” he then goes on, taking a sip of his drink, “I was glad that Yuri tried to get us closer, but I couldn’t help the feeling that the same thing that had happened to me would happen again. So, I tried to prevent it. I tried to back off before it could hurt me again.”  
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, and my voice gets lost in the noise around us. Viktor doesn’t seem to hear it either. He’s spacing out for a second.  
“Then I found out that Yuri’s intentions weren’t bad at all. I’ve known the kid since forever, and I still managed to doubt him. Not that I’d ever tell him that I had zero trust in him.”  
“I was the same, though,” I add with a shy chuckle. “And I’m pretty sure he knows that.”  
Viktor’s eyes widen, then he starts laughing loud and hard.  
“What? You’re joking!”  
“I’m not, I swear. I thought you two were together. But he convinced me that you weren’t and I believed it.”  
“Good for you,” Viktor chuckles. “Wish I believed him, too. Maybe it wouldn’t have taken that long.”  
I smile at him. Then something hits me.  
“Actually, I think Yuri knows that you had zero trust in him.”  
Viktor turns to me with an uncertain look on his face.  
“What?”  
“I knew that you thought that Yuri and I were together.”  
He looks me in the eyes, probably trying to figure out whether I’m joking or not. Then he makes this weird noise. I’m pretty sure he’s embarrassed and ashamed. Maybe I should tell him that he doesn’t have to feel like that. It’s all okay now.  
But instead of saying anything, I get the courage to touch his shoulder. My hand is shaking, but I try to ignore it. I just want to touch him and hold him. It was a quite weird couple of days. He smiles as my fingers touch his shoulder, our faces are closer than anytime ever, and it gets me even more nervous. Can I even be more nervous and anxious than I already am?  
It’s about Prince Charming, so I probably can.  
“Look, I--” he speaks then, but doesn’t finish his sentence. He thinks for a second, then his face goes all red.  
“What is it?” I ask, concerned.  
“I actually don’t think I know your name,” he says, and I grin widely.  
“I’m Yuuri. Yuuri Katsuki. Well, in Japan, names are the other way around, I mean, family name comes first, so it’s Katsuki Yuuri, and...” Viktor is blinking at me, seemingly trying to catch up to me, and I just realise how fast I was talking about something that might not even be interesting to him. Now it’s my turn to go all red. “I-I’m sorry...”  
But he bursts out laughing, and leans his forehead against my shoulder, and I can’t help but slowly running my fingers through his hair. Which is actually soft and smells just too nice. I want to hold him like this forever.  
Shortly after, he wraps his arms around my neck, breathing slowly against my skin.  
“You know, Yuuri,” he starts speaking in a tone that nearly makes me go crazy. I mean, it gives me goosebumps, and my heart is racing a little too fast from it. And the way he said my name… His voice as he said my name… “I’ve been waiting for this.”  
“Me too,” I whisper in his ear.  
“I was just a barista, and you were just a customer, and I’m not saying you were a love at first sigh, because that’s not the case...”  
“Why do I feel like I should be offended?” I ask jokingly, and we’re both laughing.  
“I don’t think I recognised you when you came to the café the second or the third time… But when I saw your face several times in just one month, it made me… Hmm, how should I put this…?”  
“It made you wonder who the hell this guy is and why he’s obsessed with latte?”  
He rolls his eyes with a wide smile.  
“No, silly! It kind of made me want to see you again and again, until I realised that I felt some sort of connection to you.”  
“Oh?”  
“And I felt weird for feeling like this,” he shrugs now. “I mean, having a crush on a complete stranger? But you kept coming more and more, and I always wanted to at least ask your name, but I couldn’t.”  
“I was the same,” I nod.  
“I didn’t think you’d be interested in me,” he smiles shyly. “And weird how Yuri noticed the thing between us and we never did.”  
It makes me laugh a little, but on the other hand, I find it embarrassing.  
“We should have talked to each other sooner,” I sigh.  
“I know. And I’m sorry,” Viktor replies with regret in his voice.  
I take a second to glance at him before saying anything.  
“You shouldn’t be. It’s not very easy to go up to your love interest and talk to them.”  
He nods and smile.  
I smile back at him. And it feels like time just froze around us.

 

*

 

We’ve gotten quite carried away. We’ve been talking for almost two hours straight, about too many things. Mostly about ourselves. I’ve gotten to know so many things about him, and it makes me beyond happy. I know I talk like people in those basic teenage romantic movies, but it seriously feels like heaven.  
On top of that, talking made us stop drinking, which is great because I don’t think I’d make a good impression if I got drunk now. I need sober me. Viktor’s face is rose pink, but he doesn’t seem different after having, like, three drinks.  
He’s fun. It’s not like I doubted he’d be fun. He’s so lively and smiley, and I like the way he gets carried away and talks a lot. I’m just elbowing on the counter, staring at his face, smiling. I’m so in love with this man, and I’m sure I’ve already stated this.  
Now he stops talking, and looks at me, his eyes are sparkling.  
“Would you wanna get a coffee with me tomorrow? Anytime you want,” he asks.  
“Sure,” I nod a little too enthusiastically. Then I blush. “I mean, it’s quite late now, and we’re not even on our ways home yet, so I don’t know what time I’d wake up.”  
“Hmm, same.” Viktor thinks for a moment before reaching for his phone. I watch him unlocking the screen lock. “May I have your number?”  
“Of course you may.”  
I grin widely as I type my number into his phone. Then he pulls his phone closer to him, and first, he types ‘best customer ever’ to the name. We both laugh as he changes it to Yuuri. Then he rings my number so I can save his.  
And while he turns away, I type Prince Charming to the name. And he can never find it out. Maybe one day.  
Shortly, a very tired Phichit, a smiley Mila, and a bored Georgi walk up to us.  
“God bless Yuri for this,” Phichit says with a tired sigh. “Yuuri, we should head back to the dorm.”  
I nod. He seems like he would fall asleep in any minute. Now that Viktor and I stopped talking, I’m feeling pretty sleepy as well.  
“Guys, where’s Yuri actually?” Mila asks now, looking around. We do so, too, but nobody seems to see Yuri anywhere near.  
But then I spot him talking to the bartender. And he’s laughing, like, it’s a real laugh. I haven’t even seen him truly smiling so far.  
“Finally someone that could break the ice with him,” Viktor says happily.  
“You’ve been his friend since he was a kid, haven’t you?” I frown.  
Viktor sighs deeply as he begins to explain.  
“That’s correct, however, he never opened up to me.”  
Phichit and I raise our eyebrows curiously and surprised.  
“How come?” he manage to ask first, and now Viktor turns to look at him.  
“I don’t know. We’ve known each other for years, he’s always been hanging out at mine, and yet he’s still keeping distance. I guess that’s how he is.”  
We all nod as we keep watching Yuri having fun with the bartender.  
“Alright, let’s head home,” Phichit cuts in with a yawn. “I’m gonna fall asleep.”  
“I’m gonna go get Yuri,” Georgi volunteers, then elbows his way to Yuri.  
Viktor turns towards me with a small blush on his face, he probably feels awkward now that the others are here. I’m trying to ignore their presence.  
“Sooo…”  
“Sooo...”  
Awkward silence. I can feel Phichit’s curious gaze on me, even though he tried to take a few steps back so he wouldn’t hear us, and make us feel weird.  
“Can I call you tomorrow? I mean...” Viktor checks the time. “It’s half past one. So it’s today. I mean...”  
“You can call me later,” I help him out, smiling. “Definitely. I’d like that.”  
He grins at me, and nods. Then we all head out of the bar, Yuri is finally with us. His phone is in his hands, he keeps texting someone, I’m pretty sure it’s that bartender he was talking to. Viktor keeps glancing at him, but he doesn’t ask a thing, we’re just walking towards the metro station in silence, tired.  
When we get there, Viktor gently pulls me away from the others.  
“It was great to finally talk to you,” he says. He looks excited. “Can’t wait to see you more.”  
I bite my lip, my hands are slightly shaking. I’m still nervous, and he looks the same. But I can tell he’s just as happy as I am. I mean, he can’t stop grinning at me.  
“So, later,” I say as the metro gets near.  
“I’ll call you,” he says as Phichit and I hop on the metro.  
He waves, and we wave back. The metro departs, and I feel like I was forcefully ripped away from Viktor. But it’s not like we’re official. And it’s definitely not like I can’t see him. Because I can. And soon enough.  
Phichit tries his best to stay awake.  
“I’m so sleepy, so I’ll probably crash into my bed as soon as we get back,” he says, covering his mouth as he yawns. “But I’ll make sure I question you tomorrow. After your date.”  
“How--?”  
“Come on,” he laughs quietly. “There’s nothing you can hide from me.”  
I smile. He probably heard us talking.  
We sit in silence until the metro arrives at the station where we need to get off. From the station, we slowly walk back to the dorm in the dark. There is hardly anyone on the streets now.  
When we finally reach our room, Phichit falls into bed, and passes out immediately. I take my time to change to pyjamas before cuddling up with one of my pillows in my bed. I check my phone one last time to see some messages in the group chat.  
_We made some progress_ , Mila states with a smiling emoji.  
_I’m quite proud, guys_ , Georgi adds.  
_You did it, Yuuri!_ Yuri says with a grinning emoji. That makes me smile.  
And then the topic changes  
_Yuri, you made some progress, too_ , says Mila’s message with a winky face.  
_What do you mean?_ , Yuri asks.  
_That bartender. Who was that?_  
No messages afterwards. I guess Yuri didn’t really want to talk about it. Not in a group chat, at least. I smile, and before I can put my phone away, I get an SMS. It’s from Viktor.  
_I know I’ve already said it, but it was really fantastic to talk to you._  
I’m about to reply, my heart is beating crazy fast, but then he sends another message. And another one.  
_Hope to see you in a few hours._  
Goodnight!  
I can hardly fall asleep that night.

 

*

 

I’m desperately trying to do something about that exhausted look on my face, while Phichit is pacing up and down behind me, giving me some fashion advices.  
“That shirt is not for a first date,” he points at my shirt. It’s just a casual black-red flannel.  
“I’m pretty sure Viktor has seen me in this,” I roll my eyes. I’m so not in the mood to listen to his rant about how I can’t match a shirt with a pair of jeans. Besides, he’s not right. I can match my clothes. He just has a totally different taste.  
“Okay, but...” he sighs, then sits down on one of the chairs. “Whatever. Just have fun.”  
“I will,” I smile at him.  
“You’ve finally grown up,” he pretends crying, and I roll my eyes again.  
“Okay, I’m off now. Wish me luck.”  
“I wish you all the luck,” he smiles. “You’ll need it.”  
I poke Phichit on the arm before leaving the dorm room.  
Viktor called me this morning, and we agreed on meeting in a small café not too far from the one he’s working in. I was going to suggest meeting there, but he said his colleagues would kill him if he made them busier than they already were.  
So, I’m heading towards the other place, and the closer I get, the more nervous I become. My legs and hands are slightly shaking, my chest is aching, and I have no idea what to say. I guess it was easier last night because we had some drinks.  
And then I get there. I can see him through the all glass door, sitting at a table, scrolling on his phone. I gulp and take a deep breath before opening the door, the small bell above it rings. A waitress notices me, and says something in Russian. I explain that I don’t understand her, and someone’s waiting for me already, and she nods with a little confusion on her face.  
Then I head to Viktor’s table, and he notices me getting closer. He stands up to greet me, smiling widely.  
“Yuuri!”  
“Hey,” I breathe. My jaw is shaking now.  
“You look pale, are you alright?”  
I force a weak smile on my face as I sit down across from him.  
“I’m good.”  
He smiles back.  
“So, what do you wanna drink?”  
I take a look at the menu as a waiter is approaching. I’m already nervous enough, so I’ll skip coffee. I’m glancing at the menu, trying to figure out what I want as quickly as I can. The waiter gets to our table and says something in Russian, and Viktor replies, then he gently touched my arm which gives me goosebumps.  
“Are you ready to order?”  
I shoot a glance at the waiter who’s waiting there patiently, with a warm smile on his face.  
“Yeah. A strawberry lemonade, please.”  
The waiter throws a wider smile, and says something to Viktor before walking away.  
“He said it’s a great choice and it’s very popular,” Viktor translates. “I’ve never tried it yet, though.”  
“You can try it with me.”  
And as soon as I say it, my face goes red. But Viktor laughs.  
“Gladly.”  
We get our drinks pretty quick, Viktor ordered an iced mocha, and now he’s sipping it through a straw, deep in his thoughts.  
I take a sip of my strawberry lemonade.  
“Wow, this is awesome,” I say it out loud, and Viktor smiles at me.  
“There’s a reason it’s popular.”  
“Umm...”  
“Hmm?”  
I blush again.  
“Do you wanna try it?”  
He grins.  
“Sure, why not?” And he lifts my cup to his mouth and takes a sip. “It’s nice.”  
“I know!”  
He gives me my drink back, and we fall into silence. I want to say something, but I can’t think of anything.  
My anxiety kicks in. I don’t want him to get bored, but he will if I don’t do something.  
“I don’t think I’ve asked this, but how long are you going to be in Russia?”  
“Oh, uh, two more years. But I’m flying back to Japan in a few weeks. A month, technically.”  
He makes this sad face, and I suddenly wish I didn’t book my ticket to Hasetsu.  
“And when are you coming back?”  
“In August,” I say quietly.  
He bites his lip, but then forces a smile.  
“Sorry, I probably shouldn’t be this sad,” he chuckles. “I’m just… I don’t know.”  
Viktor is struggling to find the right words to say, but the longer I stare at his face, the more I get what he might feel.  
“I think, I know what you mean,” I say, and he smiles sadly.  
“Okay.”  
I gulp as I pull all my courage together, and reach for his hand. I just touch the top of his hand first, then I squeeze it. He looks surprised, but then he grins at me, and laces our fingers.  
I feel so nervous just by doing this that I don’t even know what to say or do next. I’m just elbowing on the table, covering my mouth with my palm, but it’s not going to cover my whole face, which is probably tomato red, apparently.  
Now Viktor stands up, and pulls his chair next to mine, then holds my hand again. We’re so close, probably as close as I am to fainting.  
“Is this okay?” Viktor asks.  
“Y-Yeah,” I nod.  
He turns his head towards me, and I look up at him. Now he leans closer, and I’m expecting him to kiss me.  
But then one of our phones is buzzing.  
“It’s Yuri,” he groans as he picks up. They start talking in Russian, and Viktor is not very happy about his call.  
Meanwhile, I check on my phone just to see, like, ten messages from Phichit.  
_I tried to stop Yuri from calling you guys. I really did._  
Now I hear Viktor quickly saying bye to Yuri, then puts his phone on silent.  
“Sorry about that. The kid wanted to know what we are doing.”  
“I’m not even surprised,” I laugh.  
Now he seems a little uneasy. I’m pretty sure he’s thinking about what he was going to do before the phone call. So, I decide to take control. I lean closer and plant a small kiss on his lips. He doesn’t hesitate to kiss me back, his lips taste like mocha. Obviously.  
But I sure love that taste.  
“I take it we’re official,” he says when we end the kiss.  
“Good,” I say happily. Now my phone buzzes, but it’s just a message. I roll my eyes. “I’ll have to update Phichit about us.”  
Viktor laughs, then leans to kiss me again.  
Later, as we’re slowly walking by the riverside, we run into Mila, Phichit, and Yuri.  
“Look at them doves!” Mila yells happily.  
“So, are you guys a thing?” Yuri asks as he takes a step closer.  
Viktor and I nod at the same time.  
“Good. Two fools together.”  
Phichit bursts out laughing, and Mila is shaking her head.  
“That wasn’t nice, Yurotchka!”  
“Call me that again and--”  
“Say whatever you want,” Viktor rolls his eyes at Yuri. “But Yuuri’s my prince.”  
I blush, and Phichit says ‘aw’ so loud that it echoes.  
“I’m pretty sure you’re his Prince Charming,” Mila murmurs playfully, which makes me blush harder.  
“Is that so?” Viktor turns to me with an extremely happy smile. “Awww!”  
“All I know is that I’m the king in this whole fucking situation,” Yuri grunts now. “Without me, Yuuri would still be stalking you!”  
“That makes me the prince then, because I was some help as well,” Phichit adds. “We helped two fools get together.”  
“Thanks...” Viktor groans.  
“But in my story,” I begin to say, trying to push my embarrassment aside, “Viktor is the prince. And I’m one, too. You guys can be the kings, as we wouldn’t be here without you, indeed.”  
Yuri and Phichit start laughing, then Phichit pulls us into a group hug.  
“I’ll be the bridesmaid!” Mila says, chuckling.  
“And I’ll be the best man,” Phichit claims.  
My face turns red again, and as I look up at Viktor, I notice that he’s blushing as well.  
And he holds my hand. I’m so happy I can’t even describe it. Whoever is the king, the prince or the fool, we were in this together.  
And we will always be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. I've really enjoyed writing every bits of this bang fic. ^^ And I hope you liked it, too.  
> Thanks for reading, special thanks to my beta-reader's hard work on this fiction, without her this fiction would be a huge mess. Also, special thanks to my artist for their awesome artwork for this fiction! It was really nice collaborating with all of you! 
> 
> Love, Ricchan


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